Does any country on earth draw as many backpackers and expats as Thailand?

What is it about this place? What's the draw?

Sure enough, the world is full of affordable destinations with great
food, lovely beaches and ancient cultures, but Thailand is clearly THE
DESTINATION for the nomadic traveler. In fact, Thailand is so popular
and so diverse, I couldn't imagine trying to squeeze all its
wonderfulness into one little post. Today we'll fly to Bangkok and
wander our way down to Phuket!

The Bradleys, otherwise known as The Sattvic Family,
have decided to make Phuket their new home. They have been all over
the world. France, Italy, Korea, the US, but once the Bradley family
landed in Phuket, they realized they had found their paradise.

Thailand is probably the biggest
expat/backpacker destination in the world. Why is that? What is the
best thing about living in Thailand?

There are about 10,000 expats living in Phuket,
and 1 million tourists visit the island yearly. However, this gives an
inaccurate portrait of Phuket; only certain parts of the island are
touristy, and expats tend to live in the same area. People normally
assume that Phuket is Patong, which is the uber touristy part, but it is
so easy to avoid it, which our family does. There are completely
deserted beaches here, and Phuket Town is not really a farang or foreigner hangout. So much character and beauty exist in Phuket. It is unique.

I think what attracts so many people here is that it is really like
paradise. The island has no chem trails in the sky and the foliage is
superb. The quality of living here is very high, even if one is on a
strict budget. The middle priced housing options are not very well
known, but there are plenty of housing options for families of all
budgets.

Phuket is also not too far from Ranong, where we do our visa runs.
The drive there is incredible, and perhaps one of the nicest roadtrips
on earth. It is a delight to make this trip.

My favorite part about Phuket is in fact how close it is to my
favorite places on earth. India is about 5 hours away, Maylasia only an
hour, and Korea and Japan run about 6. There are direct flights to
Europe as well, making it relatively easy for a family to take an
impromptu vacation.

How exactly do you guys live in Thailand? Tell me a bit about your housing situation and daily life?

We live in a 3 bedroom, semi-detached house in Chalong, which we found on www.houseinphuket.com.
We have a great yard with a picnic table and A/C, which is perfect for
me because I am not too good in hot climates (can't help being British).
Chalong is the prime location for us, as it is not tourist laden but
has expat services, such as supermarkets with imported items. It is
close to Ra Wai and Nai Harn, which are stunning, and is near Phuket
Town, which is my favorite part of the island.

We do not have any medical insurance, but the hospitals here are
cheap and world class, and if Billy decides to teach part time, we would
automatically get covered. We intend to have another baby in the near
future. I will be having a VBAC which means we will have to travel to
Bangkok, but it's only an hour away. There are many cheap dentists and
other specialists on the island.

We homeschool Kaya, so she will not attend any formal education here,
but we hope she will take classes in Thai and possibly Korean or
Japanese. There are plenty of small schools that offer these types of
private classes. There are also many great extracurricular things for
kids here, such as karate and art classes.

Everyday is different for us, but I can tell you this: as a family,
we consume so much less here then we did in the US or anywhere else. We
mainly go out to free or very cheap places, such as Wat Chalong.
Almost every evening, we go for a drive to Phuket Town, where Kaya
plays in the 'dragon park', a place with a golden dragon. It is
incredible. So empty and yet near the Thai nightlife scene. The
atmosphere is somewhat like Havana, lively and with stunning
architecture.

How has your daughter adjusted? I know she is young, but have you seen any change in her since you moved to Thailand?

Kaya has always preferred Thailand to any other place we have lived. I
can say this with certainty because she was always so challenging as a
baby, save when we vacationed here. We knew in our hearts she wanted to
live here and not in Europe, and that contributed to us moving back.

Most of us know a bit about Thailand.
The beaches, Bangkok, etc... But can you tell us 3 things or places
regarding Thailand that very few people know?

Thailand has incredible architecture due to Khmer and Buddhist influence.

I am obsessed with Angkor Wat, which we have yet to visit, but
Thailand has similar Khmer architecture much of the world doesn't really
know a lot about.

Thais are very laid back and happy people, but our generation also
has that next gen edge and there are many Internet cafes and tech spots
throughout Phuket and of course Thailand. Driving up to Ranong, we saw
wifi signs even in small villages. Thailand is very much online and
into electronics. It may not be to the level of Korea, but so many parks
and almost every restaurant and sala in Phuket has wifi! It is amazing!

When most people hear about alternative medicine, they think of China
or India. But Thailand has had a long practicing system of Thai natural
medicine. Just like what happened in India when the British invaded,
Thailand's system was run underground, and is only now making a more
mainstream comeback. So many people who have adopted the Western fast
food and dairy heavy diet are getting sick, and obesity is on the rise.
Many people are now going back to their roots and the country is
starting to see some positive results.

What's different about Thailand than where you lived previously? What's better? What's worse?

I did not like living in Cortona, Italy where we lived before. It was not as laid back as Phuket.

Thais are an accepting people. There are many Buddhists, Muslims,
Hindus and Christians here, and Thais know farang/foreigners do things
differently. They give us a lot of respect, more respect than what
foreigners give them. This is a shame, but that is the problem of being
an island run by making tourists happy! Customer service is a
challenging industry, as you can't please everyone. Foreigners have many
things to learn from the Thai people.

We also got sick of eating pasta and pizza everyday in Cortona, since
we don't eat meat. We do eat seafood, but Cortona is known more for its
wild meat, pasta, and pizza. Our palates now crave Asian, spicy food.
Even getting our hands on basic vitamins was harder in Italy because of
the heavy red tape. Here that is not the case. Thailand is very
flexible.

I don't think many people I know view
Thailand as a "family" destination. The images most of us get are of
the wild streets of Bangkok or young wandering backpackers. Can you
convince them otherwise?

That is one of the goals on my blog:
to show how incredibly family friendly Thailand is! The Russians and
Koreans know it, as I see families from there all around Phuket. But not
as many Brit or North American families. Here is a secret that our
Belgian friend Alain told us (and he has lived here 30 years and has 3
daughters): Thais love babies so much! If you bring your kids with you
to a business deal, you will automatically get the upper hand. They
really love kids that much!

My neighbor is from Sweden, and has lived alone in Phuket for 10
years. This is her home. She goes back to Sweden for a few months every
year to work, then returns to her home and dog. She is not into
partying, and lives a quiet contemplative life. She goes to Big Buddha a
lot and enjoys her life. Many alternative families are choosing the
same path. They come here just to enjoy life.

Thailand has so much for families to do. From working with charities
to experiencing a plethora of outdoor activities. The country is
unfortunately known for the sex and drug industry because of the US and
foreign troops who came here years ago, but I can't stress enough that that isn't Thailand.
And truthfully, every country has pockets where this is an issue.
Rougher areas like Pattaya are working hard to attract older, retired
couples to move there and change the culture. Just like everywhere
else, Thailand has it's rough spots, but as a family they are easy to
avoid.

Thailand is actually very, very safe. In our upscale neighborhood in
LA, there was a shooting directly across from our apartment building, on
Christmas. I was mugged twice, once while pregnant. Thailand doesn't
even compare to that, unless one is involved in drugs or has their purse
or phone sticking out in an area that has petty crime. I have never
felt threatened here, EVER. Nor in Bangkok.

They just opened Asia's largest recreational and sports centers in
Thalang, and it has activities for kids, as well as a wellness center
for adults. We haven't been yet, but this is just one example of how new
things keep opening up for residents, and not just backpackers or
tourists. Behind our house is a botanical garden, which is newly built. I
can't wait to see the incredible species of wildlife it has behind its
doors!!

I would love to live right outside of Phuket, on the road the Ranong.
It is paradise, clean and with incredible land. I also adore Bangkok,
but housing is actually harder there, especially if one has pets. Phuket is incredibly family friendly,
although Bangkok has more kid friendly restaurants, cafes, and hang
outs. There are homeschooling groups there (both Thai and foreign) and
in Phuket, we have a women's club made up of Singapore, North American,
Australian and other foreign nationals living here. So much to do for so
many different races of people! There is also angloinfo Phuket and
Bangkok, both of which put up things to do for the day with kids. It is
an incredible resource for finding movies, museums, events, and
restaurants.

Phuket town is where many of the younger Thais go, as well as where
artists frequent. So if you have a teen, this is where they will want to
go! Tons of things to do here, and the bars are not the type you are
picturing in your mind. They are filled with young Thai locals having a
few beers and playing guitar. A great place for a mom and dad date night
as well!!

If you could go back and do one thing differently upon moving to Thailand, what would that be?

I actually would not do anything differently. Because we screwed up
in Cortona, and have been to Phuket before, we were fully prepared. We
have friends here and connections that helped us. It is incredibly easy
to make the move, and my husband is going to be offering services and
consultations for foreigners looking to move here. All in all, you
almost can't go wrong. Just avoid Patong if you are a family! Stick with
other areas. Maybe begin in Chalong, where there are expats but not
tons of tourists and then move out to areas like Thalang. Try to learn
some Thai and don't just hang out with expats; most of our friends are
Thai, and we like it that way. Some people move here and live an
isolated life, staying just inside their gated complex, and away from
most Thais. You won't experience Thailand this way, only a mock version
of it. Dive deep, and enjoy all this country has to offer. It is rich in
something way beyond money.

Thanks to the Bradleys for the interview and for giving us such great
insight into living in Phuket, Thailand. You can follow the Bradley
adventures at their website and on Facebook and Twitter.

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